


Snapshots

by Omeganian



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Epilogue, Gen, Recursive Fanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 04:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15987608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omeganian/pseuds/Omeganian
Summary: An AU epilogue to Love You Endlessly by EpicLilKitty. Gabriel gets a revelation. A terrible one. And then another.





	Snapshots

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snugglebuttkitten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Love You Endlessly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13542513) by [Snugglebuttkitten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten). 



> This fic was written after the posting of the 19th chapter of Love You Endlessly. Any chapters which come after that are likely to be inconsistent with this piece. To those who didn't read the 19th chapter, some characterizations might appear excessive. Well, they still are; I believe I overdid it a bit with Gabriel's stupidity.
> 
> The original fic is darker than most ML fiction. So is this one.

A small ring.

His wife’s wedding ring.

Gabriel’s been staring at it for the past hour.

It all looked so good a year ago. His son, about to marry Chloé. A marriage to a girl fit to continue his line. Then, grandchildren to spoil. He thought he could finally be happy, even after that terrible loss years ago.

And, then, Marinette burst back into his son’s life. That worthless, poor, shameful…

He stopped himself.

She wasn’t that bad. She would have made a decent wife to his son, under other circumstances. But these weren’t other circumstances.

And now… Chloé was on trial. Technically, he was as well, just out on bail. Chloé wasn’t allowed one.

He put the ring on the table and clenched his fists. Yes, it was a setback. Yes, his son was about to marry Marinette. But he will stop it. He will overcome it. He had to. He swore an oath.

He remembered that day, over ten years ago.

*

_Gabriel was sitting in his office, a smile on his face as he sketched a dress. Soon, his wife will come. Soon, she will add her own unique touch to it._

_Suddenly, the display in front of him lit. A somber policeman was looking at him._

_“Why do you disturb me, Officer?” Gabriel snapped. No one was to interrupt him during his sketching time._

_“I am sorry, Monsieur Agreste. I am afraid I have terrible news. Your wife… she’s been hit by a car.”_

_Fifteen minutes later, Gabriel was in the hospital. A doctor was walking alongside him._

_“We are doing what we can, but I am afraid it doesn’t look good. You must prepare for the worst.”_

_“I want to see her,” Gabriel replied simply._

_The doctor dared not argue._

_*_

_Pale. Frail. Weak. That’s what Emilie looked like, lying in the hospital bed. Yet still, miraculously, she smiled at him when he entered:_

_“Gabriel.”_

_“Emilie,” tears were filling his eyes. It has been years since he cried._

_“Doctors aren’t optimistic, are they?” her smile was dark._

_“They…” he couldn’t bring himself to answer._

_“Doesn’t matter,” Emilie was still smiling. “I know it’s my time. Please, Gabriel, if you really love me… do something for me.”_

_“I swear, Emilie, I swear upon everything I love. Upon all my ancestors’ graves. I’ll do what you want.”_

_“I met this girl. She’s a des-” Emilie winced in pain. “a designer. A good designer. A good girl. She has a potential to match you. Still young…”_

_“You want me to hire her?”_

_“She’s still young. Listen, if you love me, introduce her to Adrien. See that they fall in love. I know they will. They’ll be a good match. He can be happy with her. Have them married. Protect… protect her at all costs.”_

_“I will,” Gabriel whispered, tears streaming upon his face._

_“Spoil their kids. Spoil them, love them like you never did with Adrien. Teach the girl, teach them, until they are worthy of inheriting your company… Please, Gabriel, if you love me.”_

_“I love you, Emilie. I’ll do what you say. I swear, I’ll do it. Please, don’t strain yourself. Don’t leave me. Please, Emilie,” he didn’t even try to hold back his tears._

_“Gabriel, her sketches are there, in my bag,” he could barely hear her. “Her name is-”_

_And she never spoke again._

_And all the effort was for nothing._

_Because Gabriel knew as soon as he glanced at the sketches. The style was unmistakable. Months ago, Chloé Bourgeois had already brought him samples of her designs. Marvelous designs. He already had in mind much the same things he swore to his wife. And he’ll do it._

_His oath was everything he had left of Emilie._

*

It was a pity that Chloé refused to design anymore. Ever since school. It didn’t matter.

What truly mattered was that Adrien wouldn’t hear of her anymore. And that he, himself, had less and less opportunity to protect her. Yes, he hired the best lawyers for her, but with the charges against her, it looked bad. And with the charges against him, the alibi he provided for her so long ago was now being put in doubt. There were talks of reopening the old case.

Such nonsense.

Chloé was the last person to have a motive.

He needed to think what to do. And for that, he needed to clear his mind a bit.

Absently, he turned on the huge TV screen in his room. The fashion channel always calmed him down. Either through him enjoying the good designs, or laughing at the bad ones.

However, in this case, it was neither.

As soon as the channel turned on, he saw the writing on the bottom on the screen.

“Designer: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

He snarled. Not only did she steal his son, now she actually made it to the big leagues. What did she think of herself?

Then he raised his eyes onto the dress.

The fury was almost enough to give him a heart attack.

He recognized the design.

A bit altered, but he saw it before. One of the sketches Emile had upon her… Could it be?

Quickly, he walked toward his safe. The sketches were there. They were always there.

He opened the safe. Yes, the sketches were there. In a protective covering, ensuring they were still as clear as that day-

Taking out the papers, he leafed quickly through.

Yes, there it was. Some minor differences, yes, but there was no mistaking the style. Miss Cheng must have been stealing Chloé’s old designs while they studied together at school.

His snarl changed into a smirk. That will go a long way in solving his problems. If the world will learn she’s a thief, no one will believe her in court. And Chloé will be seen as a victim. Surely the lawyers will be able to use that…

He was already reaching for the phone, before coming to his senses. Marinette was an established designer now. She could always simply say that Chloé’s the one who stole them. No, he needed to be prepared. He needed definite proof.

Except Chloé was a bit hard to reach now, and would be for a few more days.

But surely, there must be something.

He looked at the screen again. Rewinding the video back a bit, he looked for anything that would help him.

And he saw it.

The cameras were focusing on the dress’s belt. There, in silvery thread, Marinette’s name was embroidered in lovely cursive.

_Yes, a true designer always signs her work. Which means the originals must have Chloé’s name upon them._

Taking out a magnifying glass, he opened the old sketch. He looked at the belt, same spot as on the dress currently on TV.

And he went cold.

Because the writing was there.

_Marinette_ , it said.

_No. No, there has to be some mistake,_ he thought desperately. _Chloé would never…_

_Wouldn’t she?_ A smaller voice whispered in the back of his mind. _Don’t you remember what she was like back then? A spoiled little brat. Never satisfied with what she had. This is exactly what she would do._

No. There had to be an explanation. He opened another page. And another. And everywhere, he found that damn signature.

He walked toward the safe again. This time, he reached to a different shelf.

There, similarly protected, lay the two sketchbooks Chloé had given him all those years ago.

He brought them to the desk, and took the glass again.

Marinette’s name was everywhere. Now, looking carefully at the book, he could see some signs upon the inner side of the binding.

A careful study might show them to be evidence the cover has been replaced.

And he still couldn’t believe it. Emilie and Marinette had never met.

_Makes sense,_ the same voice whispered. _That’s what she said. That she met the girl. If she knew her, like she did with Chloé, would she have said such a thing? You were too stupid to pay attention._

And alongside that revelation, a darker suspicion was rising. Too dark for him to comprehend.

But first, he needed to be sure.

The third time he walked toward the safe, it was to do that which he swore he never will.

Carefully, he removed a sealed box.

*

After his wife died, her smartphone remained behind. A bit banged up, but intact. Enough remained for him to recover the data… so long as he didn’t care about things like passwords. He took the data, he made backups. A memory of hers.

But he never looked at the data.

He swore he never will.

He was about to do that now.

He opened the camera data folder. There were dozens of pictures from the last days before the accident.

He opened one.

A selfie. A selfie of his wife looking at the camera, smiling.

And Marinette by her side.

And then another picture. And another.

Some only had her. Some only had Marinette. He opened another picture. The two were sitting in a café together. In front of them lay a sketchbook. And Emile was adding to the design there.

Wide eyed, Gabriel opened Emilie’s sketchbook. Yes, there it was. He could see enough on the picture to know it was the same design.

And the last vestiges of doubt have disappeared.

Emilie’s touch was unmistakable in the sketch. His wife had been meeting Marinette. She had been teaching her. She…

He opened the next picture.

Nothing could have prepared him for that.

A bit blurry, but right behind the two smiling girls, it was plainly visible.

Chloé’s face.

Horrified at the realization, Gabriel vomited onto the floor.

*

_The policeman was standing before his desk:_

_“Monsieur Agreste,” he said. “Finding the person responsible is difficult. You see, the car was stolen a few minutes before the incident. The owner has a solid alibi. The car was found three kilometers away, abandoned. No fingerprints.”_

_“Surely there is someone who saw something. Maybe during the crash, maybe when it was being stolen. Anything! Something!” Gabriel shouted._

_“We have asked anyone we could. There were a few witnesses, a few marks, and…”_

_“And?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow._

_“The evidence points… at Chloé Bourgeois.”_

_That was ridiculous. Preposterous._

_Chloé was certainly rich enough to have no need for stealing a car. And she would certainly be the last person to have a motive of harming Emilie. After all, Emilie made him swear at her deathbed that he would protect her. Surely, Chloé knew about Emilie supporting her. And she was certainly not the type to do such a thing._

_Unfortunately, despite having no license, she did know how to drive a car. Which means she might have problems before her innocence could be proven._

_“We asked her where she was at the time of the incident, and she said she was at your mansion with Adrien. Can you confirm it?”_

_“I was here at my office, but the security cameras would have recorded her entering and leaving. Return in a couple of hours, Officer, and I’ll tell you.”_

_“Of course, Monsieur Agreste.”_

_As soon as the man left, Gabriel opened the footage. There was no need for these couple of hours to check. He needed the time in case other things were required._

_Chloé had left at 13:40. His wife was hit at 14:35. This gave more that enough time for her to…_

_No. Of course she didn’t. But still, his wife made him promise. No harm would come to Chloé from such a shameful scandal._

_Fortunately, he was prepared for all occasions._

_A few buttons pressed, and the timestamp on the footage now read 14:40. That would be more than solid enough._

_Of course, evidence remained in the form of sun angles and such, still indicating the correct time. However, Gabriel had more than enough influence to stop nosy policemen from digging that deep. Chloé would have her reputation kept crystal clear._

_And so it was._

*

Gabriel felt his world collapse around him. Chloé knew Emilie had been meeting Marinette. She probably knew, or could guess, that she will soon introduce her to Gabriel. She knew her lies are going to be exposed. She had the perfect motive to kill his wife.

She did.

He saw the evidence against her. What they managed to gather. There was no doubt. She would have never walked out free if not for him faking the timestamp. And talking to a few responsible people.

What a moron he was.

He vomited again.

If only he had noticed the signature when Chloé had first presented these sketches. He would have simply sent her away, maybe tried to meet Marinette.

His wife would still be alive.

If only he had paid attention to his wife’s words while she was dying. If only he had looked at the sketches more carefully. Emilie’s murderer would have faced justice.

What did he do instead?

_Marinette was the one he swore to his wife will marry Adrien._

And he threatened her into staying away from him.

_Marinette was the one he swore to protect at all costs._

And he sent two psychopathic murderers after her.

_Her kids were the grandchildren he swore to Emilie he would love and spoil._

And he tried to make Marinette abort them.

He blackmailed Marinette with their lives.

If only… If only…

And he had no one to blame but himself.

Kneeling on the floor, Gabriel contemplated his options.

Suicide was out. Suicide was a coward’s way. And he still had his oath to protect Marinette.

And yet, what was there?

He had no idea.

He didn’t know how he could make them forgive him. He didn’t know if that was even possible. He wasn’t even sure he deserved to try.

He only knew one thing.

From now on, Chloé will have to pay for her own lawyers.


End file.
